How are you using Folders?

Here is my take on GTD and how I use folders. I moved from RTM, and I loved having my smart lists, so it was a little tough to get used to how Toodledo works. But now that I have got a good start, I think this will be a nice system.

I use folders as main categories (work, freelance, personal, study, commerce, review, someday).

For now, all my tasks (about 100 of them) fit within these folders. I have my default view set to my folders. That way I know all of my tasks are accounted for in one of them.

I use my contexts to help if when I am at a specific place (@store, @mac, @corporate, @home, etc).

I just started using tags for my projects. I use them sparingly and some tasks don't have tags. This way, if I am designing a website for "ClientX", I may have tasks to complete at many different contexts. Some tasks may (not often) even fall into different folders. But I can always search by tag and know that any task tagged "ClientX" covers all my bases.

I will most likely tweak my system a bit as I get used to Toodledo. But overall, it is great!

I started using folders for projects but decided this was not working for me. My biggest problem was controlling different areas of my life by context. It did not seem natural.

When I did use folders for projects, I would have context called "Office" and "Home" to filter out the task as I needed. My problem was that many times I may have a work related task that required my Computer to accomplish or research on-line. For these cases I would use the context "Computer" or "On-line".

Here is where I found a problem. Now when I try to filter task related to work, I could not simply just use the "Office" context.

So what I did instead is created a folder called "Work", "Household", "Personal".

Then I can use my context more specifically to the medium in which these task required for their completion. So now I can click on my Work folder and know that every single task in the folder is related to Work and nothing else. Then I can filter by context as GTD System suggest.

So let's say I am at work and my internet went down. I can filter task by different context that would allow me to GET THINGS DONE. So I may filter by "Phone", "Email", "Meeting", "Computer" This way any task that required "On-line" for me to complete was not listed.

Maybe I feel like making calls. I am in a talking mood. Filter my task in the Work folder by the context "Phone" It's easy to break everything down this way.

I use Sub-task for Projects and name the Parent task title with "Project: name of project"

This allows me to do several things. I can search task by Project and find my projects quickly. I also created a context called "Project" and assign it to only my parent task. This allows me to use the Context view and I see a tab called Projects. Quick and Easy.

Quote: "I also created a context called "Project" and assign it to only my parent task. This allows me to use the Context view and I see a tab called Projects. Quick and Easy."

I use an @Project Context for my Routine Projects for Household Chores, Grocery Shopping, Morning Routine and Evening Routine. I am also starring all my Projects (tasks). I may now use the @Project Context for ALL my parent level projects as you are in addition to starring. Thanks for the tip!

I thought for a moment that you could set a default folder in the Folders setup area .... but no, you can't!

You could your default CONTEXT to "Inbox", and then use that as your place to check for things needing processing....

But then again, I realized something else about my method: I'm actually using BOTH "No Folder" and "No Context" as my Inbox, and any way I use to quickly add tasks (Jott, Firefox plugin, Twitter...) I simply never set either of those fields, and presto! The task is in my Inbox! :P

The benefit: when I log into Toodledo, no matter which section I look at first (Folders or Contexts) I will see that my "No ______" section has some tasks in it. (For those who can't see the number of tasks in each tab but want to, turn on "Show Tab Counts" in Account Settings -- I LOVE that feature!)

Then to process a task, I make sure to set a Context and a Folder and a Tag ... well, I set everything I can, actually. And presto! Processed, and out of my Inbox! :)

I just started using Tooldeo. I'm in sales and trying to fingure out a way to status my progress with each prospect. Current I have all my prospects in a PROSPECTS folder, but would like to status each step in the process:

I'm a case manager and I use folders for each client, so all of the tasks related to that client are in a specific folder. I would like to sort my list show only the TOP priority in each client folder (so that I focus on that priority each day and can add/move other tasks into that TOP spot for the next day), but I haven't figured out a way to do this using the sorting and filtering mechanisms available. Of course, I can sort by folder, and I can rank by priority within the folder, but I can't figure out how to get it to only show one priority level instead of all of them. Am I missing something obvious or is this not possible within TD pro? Any help is welcomed -thanks!

Hotlist = Top/High Priorities, due today/tomorrow
Starred = manually set each day to mark my Most Important Tasks of the day
Folders = Projects (each client has a folder, general folder for smaller clients)
Context = WHERE (@Home, @Starbucks, @Away, Calls)
Goals = WHY (Financial/Triathlon/Socialising goals)

Hotlist = Top/High Priorities, due today/tomorrow
Starred = manually set each day to mark my Most Important Tasks of the day
Folders = Projects (each client has a folder, general folder for smaller clients)
Context = WHERE (@Home, @Starbucks, @Away, Calls)
Goals = WHY (Financial/Triathlon/Socialising goals)

Now it's easy to see all my todos for my private projects by going to folder --> private projects. I can also see the specific projects by going to context --> private project and then pressing the little man to see the sub todos.

I haven't really figured out how to implement the goals, tags and the other stuff yet.

I have 40-50 projects for work alone. And obviously many more tasks for each project.

It sounds like, from some of you have posted, I should:
1)Create a Work Folder
2)Make each project a task with a context of .project (or something similar)
3)Create subtasks for each action related to the project
4)Use the priorities function to determine which action needs to be done next
5)Use the search functionality to then search by context

@chasmro,
That is very similar to what I do, but I don't understand why 5 would be necessary. You can see lists by context in the Context View. Unless, you mean so that subtasks alone can be shown, but there are other ways to do separate your tasks and subtasks, although using saved searches is a very good method.

I have been using 1st level tasks as both Projects and projectless tasks, but due to some problems that causes with apps I sync to, I am planning to possibly stick those all under parent tasks called No Project or something.

Unless you have some very unique way of using Folders, the answer is yes. Also, your subtasks should automatically take on the Folder attribute from their parent, even if dragged into place. You should also read this if you have not already: http://www.toodledo.com/info/subtasks.php